Big Brother's twelfth-season houseguests evicted Rachel Reilly during Thursday night's live broadcast of the CBS reality show.
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Rachel, a 26-year-old chemistry graduate student and VIP cocktail waitress from Las Vegas, NV, was evicted from the Big Brother house via a unanimous 6-0 vote on Day 41 after she was placed on the chopping block by Matt Hoffman, the season's fifth Head of Household.
Matt, a 32-year-old web designer from Elgin, IL, had nominated Rachel for eviction alongside Brendon Villegas, her close ally who she had been having a "showmance" with since the competition's initial days.
Britney Haynes, a 22-year-old hotel sales manager from Huntington, AR, won the week's subsequent Power of Veto competition but opted not to use it even though Rachel attempted to bribe her with a $5,000 cash prize she had won earlier in the competition.
"I can't Rachel. If I use it on you, I will go home next week," Britney said, explaining that the entire Big Brother house was determined to break up her "showmance" alliance with Brendon during this week's eviction.
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Brendon, a 30-year-old high school swim coach from Riverside, CA, then launched a last-ditch campaign to save Rachel by deliberating misbehaving and arguing with his fellow houseguests, however it failed when they determined she still posed the bigger threat in the game.
Prior to Rachel's eviction, Rachel and Brendon both used their final plea statements to pledge their continued commitment to each other.
"Brendon, you've become my best friend, my true love, my partner in crime. And no matter how many days we spend apart, you're always going to be in my heart, and I love you," Rachel said.
"I've fought alongside the most amazing person that I have met in my life, and in doing so I fell completely in love with her and I have found a new best friend," Brendon said.
"And I found out what it must have been like to have been a witch back in Salem during the 1600s -- to have been persecuted for really, just being who you are," he continued. "And after all that, I would not trade it for anything. I love you very much Rachel, and whatever you guys decide, if you decide to keep me here, I will fight to the death and I will avenge anyone who had wronged her."
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During her post-eviction interview, Rachel -- who won two of the season's first five Head of Household competitions and lorded it over the rest of the houseguests during her reigns -- told Big Brother host Julie Chen she wasn't surprised to be evicted.
"I'm not shocked, the houseguests were scared of me as a competitor," she said. "They got me, and I have to say that they're scared of me. I've done nothing but fight. And I have nothing bad else to say. You know, I've made it this far, I fought with my heart, and I've had a great experience, and I'm so grateful to have been in the house."
In addition, Julie also said that Rachel -- who as the season's fifth evictee, became the first member of the houseguest jury that will eventually determine Big Brother's eleventh-season winner -- may return to the house.
"Rachel, you're off to the jury house now, but this may not be the last you've seen of the Big Brother house. Let me just tell you that," she teased.
After Rachel's interview, Big Brother's eight remaining houseguests -- minus Matt, who as the outgoing HoH, was ineligible to compete -- competed in the season's sixth HoH competition.
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The challenge required each of the houseguests, who were individually tethered to several hundred feet of rope that was entangled in a huge rope web, to navigate their way across the rope web and untangle their rope.
The first houseguest to get their rope free and clear of the web and press a buzzer would become the sixth Head of Household and get to decide which three houseguests will be the week's "Have Nots" which will be forced to eat slop, take cold showers, and sleep in the sparsely furnished "Have Nots" bedroom.
While the results of the challenge are already known to the show's 24/7 live Internet feed viewers, CBS will reveal the winner during Sunday night's Big Brother broadcast. (If you don't want to wait until then to find out what happened, highlight the area below.)
Brendon won the challenge and became the next HoH.
Big Brother's next episode will Sunday, August 15 at 8PM ET/PT on CBS.
About The Author: Steven Rogers